With the further development of society, the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as hyperlipidemia and coronary heart disease in mainland China is severe, and how to control hyperlipidemia and prevent cardiovascular diseases has become the top priority. The core drug of choice is statins.
Atorvastatin is currently the most widely used strong statin, which is well tolerated by Chinese people and is often used as the first choice for initial treatment.
But although many people eat it every day, they never understand it, and this issue of Xiao Jiu will take you to learn about atorvastatin, a lipid-lowering drug.
1. What is the difference between atorvastatin and atorvastatin?
When hyperlipidemia occurs, it is not necessary to take medication at the beginning, but the first recommended intervention is a lifestyle intervention, and if the intervention fails to achieve the goal of lipid reduction, statins will be considered on this basis.
Guo Yifang, vice president of Hebei Provincial People's Hospital, said that patients with three conditions must take statins.
First, all patients diagnosed with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, acute myocardial infarction, transient ischemic attack, etc., need to take statins regardless of cholesterol;
second, patients with LDL cholesterol level > 4.9mmol/L;
Third, diabetic patients aged > 40 years old and with LDL cholesterol > 1.8mmol/L also need to take statins.
Atorvastatin is a powerful statin that is currently used more often, and as a third-generation statin, it has the characteristics of high water solubility, low fat solubility, short plasma half-life, and rapid oral absorption.
Compared with rosuvastatin, which is also a third-generation but more friendly to liver function, atorvastatin is more friendly to kidney function, especially in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
It is generally believed that atorvastatin can be taken once a day, and there is no time limit on the time of taking the drug, and it is not affected by food.
However, cholesterol synthesis is most active at night, and taking medicine at night can have a better lipid-lowering effect. However, some patients may have trouble sleeping due to taking medication, which can be changed to taking the medication in the morning, or changing to rosuvastatin, which has fewer neurological side effects, under the advice of a doctor.
Statins generally require long-term medication, and compared with generic drugs, imported original drugs are more expensive, which will bring great financial burden to patients. Domestic generic drugs are similar to them in terms of efficacy, but the price is much closer to the people, which is acceptable to most people.
In 2020, a study conducted by Dr. Ma Changsheng of Beijing Anzhen Hospital found that patients taking imported drugs had a higher compliance rate of 36.2%, while patients taking domestic drugs had poor compliance of only 28.2%.
However, the magnitude of the effect of the two drugs on lowering cholesterol and LDL cholesterol was similar after one year of taking them.
Taking atorvastatin as an example, taking 20mg per day can reduce LDL cholesterol and cholesterol by 0.5mmol/L on average. Compared with the original drug, generic drugs can reduce the medical cost by >50%. Spend half the price and get similar results.
2. What will happen to the body if I take atorvastatin for a long time?
Atorvastatin can effectively regulate the blood lipid level in the body, reduce the LDL cholesterol in the body, and at the same time, appropriately increase the HDL cholesterol level, which has a positive significance for reducing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.
Atorvastatin has an anti-atherosclerotic effect, which can stabilize arteriosclerotic plaques and reduce the risk of blood clots caused by plaque shedding/rupture.
Overall, atorvastatin is of great significance for lowering cholesterol and preventing cardiovascular diseases. However, during treatment, it is also necessary to be vigilant about the possible side effects of medications.
1. Liver problems
Long-term use of atorvastatin may cause liver damage, and it is necessary to pay attention to regular re-examination of liver function during the course of taking the drug, and stop the drug immediately once it is found that the aminotransferase exceeds 3 times the normal value.
2. Muscle problems
Taking statins may also cause muscle damage, muscle pain and fatigue symptoms during the medication, it is necessary to check the creatine kinase index in time, and once it is found that it exceeds 5 times the normal value, it is necessary to stop the drug in time. Failure to stop the drug in a timely manner can cause severe rhabdomyolysis and even be life-threatening.
3. Blood sugar problems
Atorvastatin may have an effect on blood glucose metabolism, which is manifested by an abnormal rise in blood glucose. There is a very small probability of causing new-onset diabetes, so you must pay attention to blood sugar indicators during the course of medication.
Mild side effects such as constipation, gastrointestinal upset, indigestion, and dizziness and headache may also occur during the course of taking the medication.
3. Keep in mind 3 don'ts when taking atorvastatin to avoid injury
For patients with atherosclerosis, especially those who have had myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction and other diseases, they generally need to take medication for life. The effect of statins in stabilizing and reversing arteriosclerotic plaque is based on long-term medication, which needs to be taken continuously for at least 2 years.
There are a few things to be aware of while taking the medication.
1. Don't rely on drugs alone to lower blood lipids
Atorvastatin has a good effect on lowering blood lipids, but it cannot be lowered by taking medicine alone.
Dyslipidemia is also closely related to bad lifestyle habits, lack of exercise, smoking and drinking, etc., and if you want to lower blood lipids better, you need to get rid of bad lifestyle habits in addition to taking medication.
2. Don't be afraid of side effects and don't take medicine
The phrase "three parts of poison is medicine" also applies to atorvastatin, but the benefits of taking the drug far outweigh the side effects.
3. Don't use other medications casually
Atorvastatin is mainly metabolized by the CYP3A4 enzyme in the liver, and some antibiotics (such as erythromycin, clarithromycin), antiviral drugs (such as ritonavir), itraconazole and other antifungal drugs are also metabolized through the CYP3A4 enzyme, so they cannot be taken together, otherwise it is easy to affect the activity of CYP3A4 enzyme, resulting in an increase in blood concentration, which is easy to pose a threat to the body.
In the process of actual medication, everyone's constitution is different, so there is no best statin, only the most suitable. Finally, it is emphasized that the drug should be used under the guidance of a doctor, and if there is any doubt about the use of medicine, it is also necessary to communicate with the doctor in time.
Resources:
[1] "Rational Use of Drugs| Atorvastatin calcium tablets should not be ignored in several drug tips", China Journal of Food and Drug Administration, 2023-09-28
[2] "Atorvastatin is still not used, just watch this one!", Endocrinology Channel 2023-10-08
[3] "Be vigilant! Atorvastatin is taken every day, remember "3 wants and 3 don'ts"!", China Rational Use of Medicine, 2024-04-12
Reproduction without the author's permission is prohibited